Take Care of Yourself
by FiveFootTwo
Summary: When Jesse leaves for film school, Beca is heartbroken. Will they survive the long distance or will it break them? First chapter includes deleted scenes from the script of PP2.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: The beginning of this and the voicemail message scenes are directly from the PP2 script, and these are scenes that were either cut or edited. I decided to fill in the blanks yet again in a pathetic attempt to get over the fact that Jeca was cut from the movie. I know, it's been a year, but it still makes me mad. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this…**

She glances toward his car, packed to the brim with everything he owns, before turning her attention back to him. She's trying not to cry, so she takes a deep breath, the air puffing out of her lungs with a heavy sigh.

"I guess this is it, the big goodbye," she tells him.

"Bec, don't be sad. We knew this day was coming," he says. "I was always going to graduate early and go to film school."

"Still stings," she replies before adding, "Oh yeah, I got you a going away present." She pulls a gift from her bag and hands it to him. He opens it to reveal a copy of E.T. "You'll like it," she tells him, "It's about a strange, awkward outsider who leaves home and tries to fit in."

He cuts her off with a chuckle, "Beca, I've seen E.T."

"You have?" her expression is shocked and he finds it endearing. "It came out like a hundred years before we were born. How do you know this stuff?"

He smiles fondly at her before taking her hand and giving it a squeeze, "Thank you, I love it. We'll watch it together."

She laughs, "Really? Both hours?" she teases.

He shakes his head, "Still not a movie person." He stares at her intently, trying to read her emotions.

She turns her attention back to his car, not meeting his gaze, "Well, take care of yourself," she says without feeling.

"Take care of myself? What are you, my Aunt Delores?" he shakes his head at her.

"I just mean like don't get hit by a falling meteor or fall asleep holding a lit cigarette," she trails off.

"No, what you mean is that you think we're not going to make it," he corrects.

"C'mon Jess. Let's be real. This is exactly how relationships die," she pauses before continuing. "Look, I'm not upset you're pursuing your dream. I think that's great. But it means you're moving to the other side of the country. While I stay here to do my thing. And…we're young. We're growing apart. It's happening."

"Uh-uh," he shakes his head, "It's not going to happen. A couple of time zones could never come between us. So nice try. We'll be together again. I promise." He picks up his bag to go.

"When? When will we be together again?" she asks, trying to hold her the desperation in her voice in check.

Jesse starts to answer but says nothing. Softly, he tells her, "We'll figure it out. I gotta go."

He pulls her toward him, his lips meeting hers in a soft kiss. She grips his shoulders, pulling him down to her level before wrapping her arms around his neck. She deepens the kiss, tangling her tongue with his. She hears the rumble of a moan deep in his throat and she smiles into the kiss, knowing the effect she's always had on him. She kisses him like it's the last time she'll ever kiss him, pouring all of her feelings into this one moment. His knees buckle slightly before he reluctantly pulls away, touching her forehead with his briefly before turning to leave. He gets into the car and with one last wave to her, he drives away.

As tears begin to fill her eyes, she watches as the car disappears from sight. "Take care of yourself," she says to its retreating form before turning and walking through the snow back to the Bella house.

She tries to keep herself busy, but his absence is palpable. She knows that her friends are watching her carefully, waiting for that moment where she loses it and falls apart, but Beca isn't that girl. She's not going to fall apart over some guy, even one she knows she's in love with. She has plenty to do between classes, the Bellas, and her internship. She tells herself that even if Jesse were here right now she wouldn't have time for him anyway, but it doesn't really ease her loneliness.

At first, they're texting and video chatting all the time, but after he gets settled and his classes begin, the texts and chats grow fewer and farther between. It's difficult, with the time zone difference and their busy schedules, to find the time to talk. Her heart aches for him, but she tries to keep herself in check when she talks to him. It simply hurts too much.

She hates that she misses him. She hates that she allowed him to become such an integral part of her life. She always vowed to never need anyone, that she was better on her own. But somehow, he snaked his way into her heart and she fell for him, hard. She feels stupid, because she knew this was going to happen. He would leave eventually. It's not like it was a surprise, like he said, this was always part of his plan to go to film school. Before they had always talked about her eventually joining him in Los Angeles, but now she's working at Residual Heat. She just doesn't know about anything anymore.

Jesse, in turn, can feel her pulling away from him. He knew she would, because he knows her well. Beca doesn't handle emotions or pain very well, but she insisted that he follow his dreams, that she couldn't be the one to stand in his way, and so he left. He was certain that they could survive anything. He loves her so completely, and he doesn't think he'll ever love anyone else the way that he loves her. And even though he's expressed that many times before, he knows there's always going to be a part of her that doesn't believe him—the same part of her that was damaged when her dad left. He gets it, but it doesn't make it hurt any less when he feels her slowly slipping away from him, acting upon her own foolish self-fulfilling prophecy. He tries to tell her how much he loves her when they talk, but she always cuts him off with small talk about the Bellas or her classes. His heart aches for her, but he hopes that they can survive this, that he won't lose her entirely.

He's vaguely aware that some of the girls in his new program are hitting on him, but he barely pays attention to them. He dives into his studies, figuring the least he can do in all this mess is earn good grades which might end up landing him a good job.

When Beca's boss tells her to give him her demos, she immediately calls Jesse to tell him the good news. He of course fills her with encouragement and tells her he knew she could do it, and her heart is swelling with pride. When her boss doesn't say anything about the demos she gave him, she gets up the nerve to ask, and is heartbroken and ashamed of his reaction that what she does is nothing special. How is she ever going to make it as a music producer?

Late that evening she picks up the phone, on the verge of tears from her stressful day at Residual Heat. It immediately goes to voicemail and she listens to Jesse's outgoing message and waits for the beep, "Hey it's me. You probably won't be able to even hear this message because as it turns out, I have nothing to say. Um, that's music industry speak for "I suck" so… You're definitely sleeping right now. That's cool. Hopefully this isn't us growing apart." She sighs heavily, "But it sorta feels like it is." She hastily adds, "This is Beca." She hangs up and tosses her phone on the bed.

Fat Amy does an ok job of trying to cheer her up, but what she really needs is Jesse. Before when she'd freak out or get insecure, he was always there to hold her, or tell her exactly what she needs to hear. She misses him so much it physically hurts. Eventually, she passes out on her bed from sheer exhaustion.

She wakes with a start and immediately reaches for her phone but she doesn't have any missed calls or texts from Jesse. Frowning, she heads to the shower before classes. She rationalizes that he must have not gotten the message because he's still asleep, the time in L.A. being three hours earlier than where she is. She knows he has a crazy busy schedule and she tries not to read too much into his silence, but by the time her phone rings with his incoming call, she'd be lying if she said she wasn't at least a little angry with him.

"Hey," she says hesitantly into the phone.

"Beca!" he exclaims, "I'm so sorry it took me this long to get back to you. I passed out last night early and I didn't wake up until just now. I must have been exhausted because I don't usually sleep that long. It's just that my schedule is so crazy right now. But anyway, are you going to tell me what's going on?"

She contemplates it for a split second before responding, "Oh I'm fine, it was nothing. Just a brief moment of insecurity. No big deal."

"It sounded big to me," he sighs heavily into the phone, "Beca, please just talk to me. I know this is hard, being apart. It's hard for me too. But I don't want to lose you."

She's glad that they aren't video chatting and he can't see the tears that threaten to spill from her eyes. "Beca," he pleads again.

"He didn't like my demos," she finally admits, "He said they weren't original, that anyone there could do what I do. I don't know if I have what it takes."

"Yes you do," he insists, "You're the most talented person I know."

She scoffs, "That's what Amy said too," she responds, "But I don't feel talented. I can't even come up with a set for Worlds."

"Beca," he says, his tone holding so much emotion, "I wish I could hold you right now, you have no idea."

"Me too," she whispers, her voice barely audible over the phone. There's a moment of silence before a female voice interrupts them on his end of the line.

"Jesse?" the voice asks, and Beca's heart drops.

"Who is that?" she questions, her voice coming out like a hiss.

"It's just Alexa, my friend from class," he explains. "We usually drive over to class together because she lives in my building."

"And she just lets herself in your room? Or was she already there?" Beca asks, and this time the anger in her voice is obvious.

"You're reading too much into this. I swear we are just friends," he insists.

"Right, just like we were just friends freshman year," she replies scathingly. "I have to go," she adds.

"Beca," he begins, but she hangs up before he can say anything else. He stares at his phone for a while before turning to look at Alexa. "Well that went well," he says sarcastically and she laughs. He turns away from Alexa and feels her come up behind him.

"Long distance relationships almost never work," Alexa says, patting him on the arm, "Don't beat yourself up about it too much."

"You don't get it!" Jesse snaps at her, "Beca's the only one for me. She's everything!" He covers his face with his hands.

Alexa begins rubbing his back, trying to comfort him. "Well if you change your mind, you know where to find me," she says, her intentions obvious to even him at this point. He waits for Alexa to leave before picking up his phone to text Beca.

 _You know I love you. I've loved you from the moment I first saw you. Nothing will ever change that. Please don't give up on us._

Beca hears her phone chime and picks it up, reading his message. And it's then, months after he left, that she finally allows herself to feel his absence completely. She begins sobbing, and buries her face into her pillows, but she doesn't respond to his text. Throughout the day and the next week, he floods her phone and voicemail with messages like:

 _I know you're just pushing me away again, putting up your walls because this is hard and it hurts. But please Beca, I need you._

 _I love you so, so much. We'll find a way to work this out._

 _Please believe me when I say that Alexa means nothing to me. She's just a friend who happens to be female. If you want I'll never say another word to her again._

 _You are the most beautiful, most talented, most amazing girl I've ever met in my life. Don't give up. I love you._

She's devastated at this point, and it's then that Chloe decides that they're all going to Aubrey's ridiculous outdoor retreat for spring break as a way to get their sound back. After days of silence, she finally texts him back.

 _I'm sorry, I'm just hurting right now. I miss you. Can't wait until graduation._

Relief washes over him when he sees he has a message from her. But it's short lived when he sees the content. He never mentioned he wouldn't be back to Barden for graduation to walk in the ceremony with Beca and all of their friends. He has a final exam that day and he can't miss it. He decides not to tell her just yet, being that she is finally speaking to him again.

Beca tries to enjoy the retreat, but she's moody and miserable for most of it. It isn't until she realizes that Emily's song may be a big opportunity for her that she starts to lighten up a little. She does love the Bellas, no matter how much heartache she's feeling right now over Jesse. She heads back to Barden feeling happier than she has in months. They work on the song and when Beca's boss loves it she immediately calls Jesse, eager to share the news.

"That's great Bec!" he exclaims happily before telling her about his studies and catching up with her about all their friends. "Hey, Beca?" he tentatively begins, "I hate to ruin the mood here, but I can't make it back for graduation."

There's silence for a long while on her end of the line before she quietly responds, "Why not?"

"I have my last final that day, and there's no way out of it. I even checked with the professor and it's non-negotiable. I'm so sorry Beca. You have no idea how much I want to be there," he explains.

He hears her sniff into the phone, "Beca? Are you crying?"

"No," she replies, but it's obvious that she is. "I just hate this so much," she admits to him. "I'm so stressed right now. And I was looking forward to graduation because the classes would be finally over. But mostly because I was going to get to see you."

"I know," he whispers.

"And now I just don't know. I just can't keep doing this," she continues.

"Doing what?" he asks, his heart pounding.

"Emily and I are going to be working on her song after graduation. That means I'm still here and you're still there. And I just don't know if I can do it. But I can't pass up on this opportunity at Residual Heat to go to Los Angeles like we talked about. I need to see how this pans out," she says.

"I know," his tone is serious. "I would never ask you to give up your dream for me."

"And I would never ask you to, either," she adds.

"So where does that leave us?" he wonders aloud.

"I don't know," she admits.

"We'll figure it out," he insists.

"Jesse," she breathes out, and her simple utterance of his name is enough to break his heart all over again. He can hear the pain in her voice, and he knows it's because of him.

"This isn't goodbye," he affirms, "I won't let it be."

She doesn't say anything for a long while, lost in her thoughts. Finally, he hears her voice whisper, "Take care of yourself," before she hangs up the phone.

Frustrated, he throws his phone across the room. He paces the room, unsure of what he's going to do. He knew the distance was going to be difficult, but it is far worse than he ever imagined. He picks up his books and tries to study, when he hears his phone buzzing with an incoming text. Hoping it's from Beca, he picks his phone up from the floor and sees that it's from Chloe.

 _Beca's singing James Bay – Let It Go in the shower and crying. She doesn't know we can hear her but we're all worried. Do something! She loves you. Just thought you should know_

He thanks Chloe for letting him know. If she's singing that song, she must think they're breaking up, or they have already, and he begins to panic. He begins playing the song on his phone, trying to imagine how beautiful Beca's voice would sound singing to it. The lyrics are devastating to him and hold so much emotion.

 _But now we're sleeping at the edge  
Holding something we don't need  
All this delusion in our heads  
Is gonna bring us to our knees_

 _So come on let it go  
Just let it be  
Why don't you be you  
And I'll be me_

 _Everything's that's broke  
Leave it to the breeze  
Why don't you be you  
And I'll be me_

He needs to do something, or he's going to lose her. He picks up his calendar and starts scanning over the days when an idea occurs to him. He goes to his laptop and starts planning right then and there.

Beca sings her heart out in the shower, and when she thinks she's gotten it out of her system, she sets to work on the Bellas set again. She has a ton of work to do in the weeks before Worlds and she needs to be focused right now. She tries her best to make it through finals and plans a great set for the Bellas to do in competition. Graduation Day comes and she admits it hurts like hell to attend the ceremony without Jesse by her side, but she shrugs it off and does her best fake smile for all the photos. She is proud of herself, after all this, that she finally made it through college.

Before she knows it, it's time for Worlds and she and the Bellas are on a plane to Copenhagen. They have a great time exploring the city. Right before they are going to go on stage for their performance, she sees that Benji has made the trip there to support Emily, and even though she's thrilled for her friends, her heart aches as she makes her way to the stage. She's so focused on the performance that she barely registers the massive crowd in front of them, and just sings her heart out on stage.

From the audience, Jesse's heart swells when he sees Beca take the stage. "That's my girl! Be-caw!" he shouts, but it doesn't seem like she notices him. Once again, Jesse is in awe of his girl and the Bellas' performance is flawless. When they finish, he screams and cheers as loudly as he can, jumping up and down holding a huge American flag. This time she notices him, and her face breaks into a breathtaking smile. He has to wait until the performances are finished and they've announced the winner as the Bellas before he attempts to get through the insane crowd and find her. She's surrounded by her friends and posing for photos when he finally spots her, and she smiles again when she spies him staring at her.

"Hey weirdo!" she shouts over the noise, and he beams at her. He frowns, disappointed that she doesn't just drop everything and run to him like he imagined, but he tries to give her some space after their six months apart. Once the photos are finished and the crowd begins to thin out a little, she makes her way over to him. She's nervous, he can tell, because she's biting her lip and twisting the rings on her fingers.

"Hey," he says softly when she reaches him.

"What are you doing here?" she asks, keeping her tone level as to not sound accusing.

"I couldn't miss this," he replies, taking her hand and squeezing it. "I couldn't miss you anymore," he adds, and she looks at her feet, unwilling to meet his gaze.

"After party at the hotel lobby bar!" Fat Amy shouts to them as she and the Bellas leave the tent. Beca kicks at something imaginary on the ground with her toe, and Jesse tugs at her hand gently.

"Come with me," she says quietly, pulling him in the direction of her hotel.

They walk quickly, with him rambling on and on about his film program and his flight. She doesn't say anything, just nods and smiles occasionally to show him she's listening. She leads him to the hotel and into the elevator. Silently, she opens the door to the room she's sharing with Amy and closes it behind them. He stands in the middle of the room, looking at her expectantly as she turns to face him.

"Ah, fuck it," she finally says and launches herself at him, the force of her tiny frame almost knocking him over. Her lips meld against his and her tongue delves into his mouth as she kisses him with all the passion she can muster. His knees buckle at the feel of her wrapping her legs around his waist and threading her fingers through his hair, and he stumbles as he walks her toward the bed. She's tearing at his shirt and soon his clothes join hers on the floor in a pile. She's kissing him everywhere and pulling him as close as possible, her hands on his hips. "Jesse, please," she pleads with him, "I need you."

With that, his resolve breaks and he pushes himself into her forcefully. She gasps as he moans her name. His hands and mouth are on her breasts and they both climax quickly together, breathing heavily as he collapses on top of her. She holds onto him tightly, brushing her fingers lightly up and down his spine as he buries his head in her hair. When he feels wetness on her cheeks he lifts his head up to look at her and sees that she's crying.

"Beca, what is it? Did I hurt you?" his eyes scan her face.

She reaches up and traces his jawline with her fingertips, "No," she whispers, "I'm just…I'm overwhelmed. I never thought this would happen again."

"What?" he asks.

"This, us," she says as he rolls off of her and sits up. She leans up, facing him. "I thought I had lost you."

"You didn't," he says firmly, "You never will."

"You keep saying that," she replies, "But I can't keep going on like this. She gets out of bed and his eyes are glued to her naked form as she paces the room.

"God, Beca," he breathes, the sight of her hair mussed from the pillow and her makeup smudged from his kisses is more than he can handle, and he's on his feet in a matter of seconds, stilling her movement as he takes both of her hands in his and stands in front of her. "You're amazing, you know that right? And you're perfect for me, in every way. I could search forever and never find anyone better for me than you, so I figure, why try? We belong together, and you know that I'm right."

"Even if I do know that, how can we be together when we never see each other? I can't go another six months without you, Jess. I just can't."

"I can't either," he admits, brushing her hair over her shoulder. "I love you, Beca."

"I love you too," she replies, and he picks her up bridal style and carries her back to the bed, placing her gently upon it before climbing in next to her. This time he makes love to her slowly, taking his time to kiss and touch her everywhere until she's trembling in his arms and moaning his name. Afterwards, they lay in the darkness together, trying to catch their breaths.

"Do you think we should go to the party?" she asks.

"I don't have any of my stuff," he replies. "It's all in my hotel room across the city. I'm going to need to get it."

"You're not going anywhere without me," she tells him firmly. They dress and leave the hotel, the streets of Copenhagen almost empty as they head in the direction of his hotel.

"Is it ok if I stay in your room tonight?" he asks her, knowing that she's sharing with Amy.

"It's fine," she replies, "Amy is already going to share with Chloe and Stacie. Stacie probably won't be back to the room tonight anyway," she laughs. She tells him more about what has happened in his absence as they hold hands and stroll down the city streets. She can't help but think how natural this is, being with him, even after so many months apart.

"I want to marry you," Jesse blurts at one point, causing Beca to drop his hand and gape at him, stunned. "I don't mean right now but someday. And I know how you hate marriage and don't believe that it can work, but I wanted you to know that I'm committed to you and I want to be with you forever. And I'm sorry if that scares you but it's the truth."

She stares at him for a moment before turning back in the direction of his hotel and continuing to walk. He falls into step beside her, waiting to hear her reaction.

"It doesn't scare me," she finally admits to him, "But we're still so young. I'm not ready yet."

"Neither am I," he answers, "But I don't want to lose you, ever. You mean too much to me. I don't think I'd survive it if I lost you."

"Me either," she replies, "And it scares me Jesse. It scares me so much."

"I know, me too," he admits.

"So what happens when it's time to go home?" she wonders.

"Well I have another year and half to go in my program," he replies, "And then after that all of the jobs will probably be in Los Angeles. Did your boss give you any idea of the timeframe with Emily's song?"

"We already started working on it," she answers. "Actually, you just heard us perform it," she adds.

"That's a great song," he pulls her closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as they walk. "Ok, so what happens after that? Can you see if maybe your boss could give you a recommendation for a place in Los Angeles instead? Do you want to stay at Residual Heat permanently?"

"Even if I did, it wouldn't be near you," she replies. "I can ask," she says finally, "And just see what my options are."

"Just make sure you're not giving up anything for me," he reminds her as he stops walking and cups her face in his hands. He kisses her then, and the kiss quickly heats up as they lose themselves in each other. She pulls away, remembering their surroundings and grins up at him.

"Oh believe me, I won't be giving anything up," she quips, raising her eyebrows suggestively and he laughs. "Plus, someone has to show Alexa that you belong to me."

"Oh really?" he chuckles, "I think it's rather obvious. Plus, I should probably be the insecure one with all those guys you always have asking for your number after every performance. You're hot, Beca. Do you know how many guys I've had to threaten over the years to stake my claim on you?"

"Dork," she teases, "Believe me, I'm all yours." Her voice drops as she says it, and he licks his lips as they hurry into his hotel room.

"Might as well get my money's worth," he jokes as they shed their clothes once more.

They never make it to the after party.

They have the next day together, and they spend it touring the city and seeing the sites before he boards a plane to fly back to school. And this time when they part, she knows it isn't forever. She returns to Residual Heat and tells her boss about her desire to move to Los Angeles. When he asks her why she wants to move she responds simply, "My life is there."

She and Emily complete work on Flashlight, and it becomes a hit for Residual Heat. It turns out her boss has some connections in Los Angeles, and sets her up to meet some people there. His only request is that she collaborates with him on her next project. As he puts it, she doesn't need to be in the office to do her job. All she needs is mixing equipment and talent.

After about two months, she's packing her car with all of her belongings and heading to Los Angeles. She texts Jesse to let him know she's on her way. His response is almost immediate.

 _Drive safely. I love you._

She smiles as she puts her car in gear and pulls away from the curb in the direction of her future and laughs as her phone chimes with another text from Jesse.

 _Take care of yourself._


	2. Chapter 2

Driving across the country takes several days, and by the time she arrives at his apartment in Los Angeles, she's exhausted, but happy. She knows he's at class and that he left the key under the welcome mat for her. She unpacks her car, unloading each item into Jesse's living room before returning to the car to get more. She locates his bedroom and smiles when she sees that he's cleared half the closet for her and left her a dresser for her things. Not wanting to leave a mess, she sets to work putting her clothes and personal items away.

She sets her mixing equipment and her laptop on his desk, making sure not to disturb any of the papers there. Since it's a two bedroom apartment and they'll be sharing one of the bedrooms, Jesse converted the other into an office area and "music room" as he put it. He asked his roommate to move out when he found out that Beca was coming. And although she's nervous, having never lived with anyone before, she's excited to finally be with him after so many months apart.

She flattens the boxes and places them in the recycling dumpster and tucks her suitcases in the closet before scanning the place, surveying her work. It doesn't look like much has changed, aside for a few of her photographs in frames joining his on the nightstands, and her toiletries lined up on the bathroom counter. She checks the time and sees that he'll be home in an hour, and decides to shower and clean herself up a little before his arrival.

She feels much better after a hot shower, and she carefully dries and styles her hair, puts on a touch of makeup, and dresses in a sheer black lingerie set that she bought just for this occasion. She lies on the bed, flipping through one of his magazines while she waits for his arrival.

After a long day of classes, Jesse pulls into his parking space at the apartment complex. His face breaks into a grin as he spots Beca's car in the parking lot, and he runs up the steps, anxious to see her. It's been almost nine months since he's been with her for longer than one day at a time, and he's amazed when he unlocks the door and barely notices any traces that she's here.

"Somebody's been busy today," he says in a teasing voice to the seemingly empty apartment. "Beca?" he calls, unsure of where she is.

When he doesn't get a reply he heads to his bedroom and sees her there, fast asleep on his bed with a magazine draped over her stomach. He takes in her appearance, the sheer lace leaving little to his imagination as his eyes rake over her body. After staring at her for a brief moment, he enters the bathroom to wash his face and hands and removes his jeans and outer shirt, leaving him only in his boxers and t-shirt. Quietly, he climbs into bed, taking the magazine off Beca and curling into her side.

"Mmm," she purrs in her sleep, rolling into his body and tucking her head into the crook of his neck.

His body reacts immediately to her touch, especially after so many months apart. And suddenly he can't help himself. She looks so sexy and vulnerable, and he begins kissing any skin he can reach. Her eyes flutter open and it takes her a second to register where she is and who is beside her, but when she does, she eagerly returns his kisses. She straddles him in a matter of seconds, rocking her hips against his as he grips her sides.

"Hey you," she whispers fondly at him, smiling as she moves against him.

"God, Beca," he grits out between clenched teeth, "I missed you so much."

"I missed you more," she replies, and he quickly removes all traces of the black lace before flipping them over and pressing her into the mattress. He takes his time rediscovering her and whispers words of love onto her skin as they move together. And after, when they're lying together in the glow of the afternoon sun, he holds her tightly against his chest, unwilling to let her move even an inch away from him.

"I'm so happy you're here," he says, breaking the silence.

She smiles, kissing him on the cheek, "Me too. I hope I didn't mess up your place too much with my stuff. I tried to put as much of it away as I could away before you got home."

He laughs, "Bec, I can't even tell you moved in here. And it's _our_ place now, not mine."

She extricates herself from his grasp and he groans and pouts, reaching out to her. "I'll be right back," she tells him as she pulls the black silk teddy over her head again, barely covering herself as she goes to retrieve her phone from the kitchen. "Don't go anywhere," she adds, and he whistles at her as she leaves the room.

Jesse also gets out of bed and heads to the bathroom. He pulls on his boxers just as Beca comes back into the room, frowning at her cell phone.

"What?" he questions.

"My dad is making sure I'm ok and that I'm sure with my life choices," she laughs, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. "I guess you never stop being a parent no matter how old your child is," she adds.

He climbs back into bed, beckoning for her to join him. "Give me a minute," she tells him as she nods in the direction of the bathroom before closing the door behind herself. She's confused when she thinks she hears the sound of the television and opens the door to reveal a blonde woman perched on the edge of the bed, talking to an almost naked Jesse.

"Hello," Beca says curtly to the woman, making no move to cover herself.

"Bec," Jesse begins, "This is Alexa. Alexa, this is my girlfriend Beca."

The two women narrow their eyes at each other as Alexa does a quick eye sweep of Beca's attire.

"It's nice to finally meet you," Alexa manages to say almost politely.

"Likewise," Beca says, although her tone is more scathing than kind. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," Alexa replies, looking curiously at her rival.

"Why are you in _our_ apartment in _our_ bedroom talking to _my_ boyfriend? Did you just let yourself in like you own the place? We were kind of in the middle of something," Beca says, gesturing to herself, "As you can see."

Alexa flushes red before replying, "Well I usually stop by after classes to go compare notes with Jesse," she explains. "And he never cared about me just walking in before," she adds, standing to face Beca.

Jesse gets out of bed, grabbing a shirt and pants before heading into the bathroom to put them on. It doesn't escape Beca's notice that Alexa checks him out unabashedly and she glares at the girl, eager for her to leave.

"Well from now on you're probably going to want to knock in case Jesse and I are, you know, _busy_ ," Beca tells the blonde.

Jesse emerges from the bathroom and looks between the two women, obviously uncomfortable. "Bec, why don't you get dressed, and Alexa and I will exchange notes."

"Ok, babe," Beca says, a mischievous glint in her eyes as she moves past Jesse en route to the bathroom. She pauses in front of him, grips him by the shirt and pulls his lips down to hers, capturing them in a heated, open-mouthed kiss before releasing him. He's glassy-eyed and practically panting as Beca crosses the room and stands in the threshold of the bathroom door. "Take care of yourself, Alexa," she replies sarcastically, and Jesse stifles a laugh.

"A-after you," he stammers to Alexa, gesturing in the direction of the living room. By the time Beca appears wearing short denim shorts and a tank top, Alexa has left.

"Jealous much?" he teases her jokingly, but she only narrows her eyes back at him in response.

"So what," she questions, "You just let some random girl walk into your bedroom any time, and you don't think that would bother me?"

"Well in my defense it was less weird when Josh lived here," he explains, referencing his former roommate. "Now that he's gone and you live here obviously she can't do that anymore. We used to study in my room because Josh was always hanging out with his friends watching sports, so it was the only place we could work. People were always just walking in and out of here."

She sighs, looking at him with a mixture of anger and amusement, "You're such an idiot," she tells him. "She likes you. She wants you. You are not just friends to her. I needed to stake my claim."

"So what if she likes me? I love you," he states simply.

"I hate that we were apart all that time," she whispers, turning away from him. "I could have lost you," she adds quietly.

"I could have lost you, too," he replies softly, coming to stand behind her. "But we didn't lose each other, we're here together now. And I'm never letting you go again." He wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her flush against his body. She can feel him responding to her close proximity again and she turns around to face him.

"How about we give Alexa a little show in case she comes back?" she says, raising her eyebrows suggestively at him.

"It's for you, it's all for you," he replies huskily, pressing her against the front door of the apartment.

Alexa does come back to return Jesse's notebook, and decides to leave it on the welcome mat when she hears the noises coming from the other side of the door. Annoyed, she returns to her apartment and slams the door.

"Besides," Jesse adds as he carries his girlfriend back to their bedroom, her legs wrapped firmly around his waist, "I only like brunettes."

"And don't you forget it," she adds before reattaching her lips to his.

 **A/N: I know this was a one-shot, but this little chapter popped into my mind so I thought I'd write it down. Do you want me to continue? And if so, what would you like to see happen next?**


	3. Chapter 3

They settle into a comfortable routine for the next few weeks. Jesse is busy with classes and Beca starts following leads to help her get established in Los Angeles. Her boss from Residual Heat did have a lot of contacts, and before long her cell phone is ringing with people asking her to work on a few different projects. Alexa still comes over at times, but she knocks on the door and waits to be let inside. Even though both of them are busy, they are both just happy to be together again.

One night they're sitting on the couch together watching a movie when Jesse turns to her and asks, "Hey do you think you'd want to meet some of my friends from school?"

She hits the pause button on the remote and shifts to face him, "Yes of course. What did you have in mind?"

"Well one of them, Matt, knows the owner of one of the prestigious night clubs downtown, and he invited a bunch of us out on Saturday night. He said I could bring you along to meet everyone. You'd have to dress up a little but it might be fun. They'll have music and dancing and of course, drinks," Jesse explains. "Maybe even karaoke," he grins, elbowing her in her side.

She elbows him back, "Oh you'd just love that," she teases him, smiling. "Sure, that sounds fun. It might be cool if Matt introduced me to the owner. He might let me play some of my mixes there."

"I'll definitely ask him," Jesse replies, tucking her back into the crook of his arm so that they can resume watching the movie.

When Saturday arrives Beca takes a long time getting ready to go out to the club. She buys a new dress for the occasion, which is a deep red and reaches just above her knees. It's very form-fitting, hugging her curves in all the right places, and the sweetheart neckline shows what she decides is just the right amount of cleavage. She pairs it with silver strappy heels and styles her hair in loose curls. She's just applying a touch of red lipstick when Jesse enters the bathroom, dressed in black pants, a sport coat, dress shirt, and tie.

"Damn," he says, looking her over, "You look amazing, Bec."

"You don't look so bad there yourself, mister," she smiles fondly back at him.

"Maybe we should just stay in tonight," he replies, leaning in to kiss her neck, his arms snaking around her waist to pull her closer to him.

"Hey now," she pulls away, "I spent a lot of time getting ready for this, and I really want to meet your friends."

"Well you've already met one," he responds before adding, "Alexa is going to be there."

"Ugh," Beca says, suddenly relieved that she made all this effort to look nice tonight.

"Gee, tell me how you really feel," Jesse quips, and they both laugh.

He drives them to the club and when they arrive he introduces her to his group of friends. Matt, Suzanne, Alexa, Rob, and Will all seem to be having a good time, and they soon launch into a conversation about movies which Jesse happily joins. Beca stands by the bar and nurses her glass of wine, but soon her feet start to hurt from standing in her heels and she searches the room for a place to sit. She taps Jesse on the arm to let him know she's going to sit down, but he is so engaged in the conversation that she isn't sure he even notices. Sitting alone at a table across the club, Beca scans over the crowd. Even though all of Jesse's friends seem like really nice people, the one thing they have bonding them together is cinema, something Beca doesn't really enjoy. She knows a little about movies just from being with Jesse, but it isn't something she's passionate about, really. She sets her glass of wine down on the table and starts singing along to the music playing for the people on the dance floor. She wants to dance, but Jesse doesn't seem to be moving from his spot next to the bar. Sadly, she gazes around the club again.

After several minutes pass a handsome guy approaches her. "Is this seat taken?" he questions, pointing to the empty chair next to hers.

She gives Jesse one more cursory glance before responding, "No." The guy sits down next to her and smiles.

"I couldn't just leave a girl like you looking so sad and alone," he tells her, "Are you on your own tonight?"

"Just meeting some friends," Beca replies, gesturing over to the group by the bar, "But I got tired of standing so I came over here."

The guy looks over at the group, "Oh I know those guys," he says, "But I've never seen you around here before. Believe me, I would have remembered."

"I'm new," she answers. "I'm not really into movies. I'm more of a music person myself. That's why I came over here, because I couldn't really join in the conversation."

"Those guys are die hard movie fans," the guy says, "No pun intended," he jokes, and Beca rolls her eyes but laughs. "Especially that one, Jesse," he continues. "Although Alexa is a close second. I mean those two are always hanging out in his room watching movies with the sound turned up. So they either have a lot of passion for movies or are trying to cover up some other kind of passion, if you know what I mean."

Beca narrows her eyes, glaring in Jesse's direction, "Oh really?" she questions. "Hey, you wanna dance?" she asks the guy. She's tired of sitting here alone being ignored by her boyfriend when this nice guy is actually paying attention to her.

"Definitely," the guy answers, taking her by the hand and leading her to the dance floor. It's a fast song and she starts singing along to it.

"You have a great voice," the guy points out and Beca blushes.

"Thanks," she says, making sure to keep an appropriate distance from this stranger.

"I'm Josh, by the way," he introduces himself.

"Beca," she replies. The music is pumping and she lets herself get lost in it while she dances. Josh is subtly inching himself closer and closer to her while she dances, and before she realizes what's happening his hands are on her hips. Just as she reaches down to remove his hands she hears a familiar voice behind her.

"Hey Josh, I see you've met my girlfriend, Beca," Jesse says, addressing the guy.

"Josh, as in your former roommate Josh?" Beca questions, suddenly embarrassed.

"Dude, this is your college girlfriend?" Josh questions. "I didn't know, man. She was alone and so…"

"It's cool," Jesse interrupts him, "I'm glad you two finally got to meet." He tries to cut in on the dance, but Beca turns around and walks away from him, clearly annoyed. She returns to her table with both men following not far behind her.

"Can I talk to you a second?" Josh asks Jesse, indicating that he wants to talk in private. Jesse nods and they walk across the room. "I didn't know she was your girlfriend," Josh says. "I mean now that I'm thinking about she does look like the girl in the pictures in your room but I swear man, I didn't know. Oh and I may have mentioned that you were always with Alexa and implied that you did more with her than just watch movies."

"What?" Jesse says incredulously, "Why the hell would you have done that? All we ever did was study and watch movies in order to complete our work." Jesse rubs his face with his hands. "What else did you say to her?"

"Nothing much," he answers, "She said she was lonely and feeling left out and I didn't know who she was. She was hot and so I figured I'd give it a shot. You really can't blame me for that, man."

"No, I guess not," Jesse says, clapping him on the shoulder before turning back to glance at where he left Beca at the table. He scowls when he sees that yet another guy is hitting on her in his absence, and he quickly crosses the room to intervene.

"Excuse me," he interrupts the guy mid-sentence, "But I was about to ask this lady for a dance. Do you mind?"

"Actually, I do," the guy replies, "Because it seems to me that she was alone and then you came out of nowhere and interrupted us. So if you don't mind, why don't you go mind your own business."

Beca stands, looking between the two men, "How about I leave and you two can dance together instead?" And with that, she walks away leaving the two men standing there dumbfounded. Jesse quickly heads after her, catching her by the elbow before she can exit the club.

"What's going on?" he questions.

"What's going on? Are you being serious right now?" she snaps. "What's going on is that you brought me along to meet your friends and ended up ignoring me for most of the night. What's going on is that you didn't even seem to notice that I had left and only appeared because you were jealous that Josh, the only person who has been nice to me all night, was dancing with me."

"He wasn't being nice to you, he was hitting on you," Jesse corrects, "As was that other guy just now."

"So what? You apparently spent all of the time we were apart with Alexa in your room 'watching movies'," she uses air quotes for emphasis.

"Do you honestly think that I would ever cheat on you?" he replies, his tone softening a little. "Yes we watched movies but it was for school. I love you, and I would never do anything to hurt you. You know that right?"

"Yes," she replies reluctantly, "But I'm still mad at you. You've barely even looked at me tonight."

"On the contrary," he responds, moving closer to her, "I haven't been able to take my eyes off you tonight. And I'm not the only one, Bec. Everyone here is looking at you."

She scoffs, "Yeah, right."

"I'm serious," he answers, "You're stunning. I bet if I walked away right now another guy would take my place in about two seconds," he says. "Josh was practically salivating over you, not that I blame him. Did he mention that he and Alexa hooked up a bunch of times?"

"No, he forgot to tell me that," she replies, shaking her head.

"How convenient," Jesse says, using the husky tone he only reserves for her. He moves to kiss her but she pulls away at the last second, heading in the direction of the dance floor. Jesse follows her as she joins the rest of the group of his friends in the center of the floor and starts dancing. She knows he's watching her closely as she sways her hips in time to the music. After a minute or two of teasing, she reaches out to him, beckoning him to join her. He does in an instant, pulling her body flush against his as they move in time to the music.

"You know it really isn't fair," he whispers into the shell of her ear, "How unbelievably sexy you are. Do you have any idea what you do to me?" he asks and he feels her shiver even though it's warm in the club. He moves until their noses are nearly touching, "Do you know what you're doing to every single guy in this room?" With that, he kisses her passionately, his tongue parting her lips urgently. They continue to move to the music together as the kiss heats up, and Beca can feel his arousal pressing into her. He breaks the kiss, breathing hard as he touches his forehead to hers. "Every guy in here is staring at me with insane jealousy right now, wondering what on earth I did to get to be with the hottest girl in the room."

"You know you're really laying it on thick here," she says sarcastically, still breathless from his kisses.

"It's true," he replies, gently placing his fingers under her chin and tilting her head up and causing her to look around the room. Several guys, including Josh and the one that was talking to her before, immediately look away when she glances at them, their expressions a mixture of disappointment and envy. "See, I told you," Jesse says, kissing a path from her ear, down her jaw, and back to her lips.

"Get a room," Matt says jokingly to them as they make out on the dance floor.

"You know, that's a great idea," Jesse replies, breaking the kiss. He takes Beca by the hand and says goodbye to his friends. He punches Josh in the shoulder, a little too hard to be just friendly, and says to him, "Thanks for taking care of my girl tonight, man."

"No problem," Josh says awkwardly, watching the couple leave.

"Oh and Josh?" Jesse adds, turning around to face his former roommate, "Take care of yourself."

"You too," Josh answers, looking confused as Jesse and Beca dissolve into laughter as they exit the club.


	4. Chapter 4

"You're really going to make me watch this, aren't you?" Beca complains as she plops herself on the couch beside Jesse.

"Come on, Bec," he smiles broadly at her, "It was a gift from you. And it's one of my favorites. And you knew I had lost my copy of it so it was so sweet of you to buy me another one. And somehow you've managed to escape watching this particular movie with me all these years."

"I watched it when you were mad at me freshman year," she points out, but he shakes his head.

"Not the same," he insists, putting his arm around her and picking up the remote to start the movie. "E. T. is a classic. You'll like it."

"Whatever you say, nerd," she rolls her eyes, but curls into his body nevertheless. He's right, the movie is cute and funny and entertaining, and she actually finds herself paying attention to it. The first time she watched she had only focused on the music, or the part of the film Jesse said he liked best. He's right, the music is fantastic and the story is heartwarming. She senses that Jesse keeps looking over at her during all the pivotal scenes, and she elbows him in the side.

"You keep looking at me every time something big is going to happen," she tells him. "It's kinda spoiling it for me, I gotta say."

"Sorry," he replies softly. "I just like looking at you." She tries to turn her attention back to the film, but he's interrupted her thought process, and instead she finds herself staring at him.

"You're missing it," he says, his eyes still glued to the screen.

"No I'm not," she whispers softly, and he turns to face her. They lock eyes before she says, "Remember that first night in my dorm when you showed me the end of The Breakfast Club?"

"How could I forget?" he replies.

"I knew you were going to kiss me. I wanted to kiss you, too. I couldn't take my eyes off you. And I remember being so afraid of my feelings," she recalls.

He begins playing with the ends of her hair. "You know I've replayed that moment a million times in my head, wondering how things would've been different if you hadn't pulled away, but I'm kind of glad that you did."

"You are?" she asks.

"Yeah, because although I wasn't a fan of fighting with you, I love how you made it up to me. I knew that I liked you and really cared about you before the ICCA's, but it wasn't until you sang to me that I realized I was in love with you," he admits.

"Really?" she questions.

"Yeah," he smiles fondly at the memory, "I mean I was a goner from the moment I saw you get out of that cab, but when you sang to me like that, I knew it was never going to get any better than that. You took my breath away."

"You're so cheesy," she teases him, but she's smiling. "I was so afraid that you weren't going to forgive me. I was practically shaking."

"Why wouldn't I have forgiven you?" he wonders.

"Because I didn't deserve it, I was horrible to you," she turns away from him. "Sometimes I still wonder why you did."

"Because I love you," he answers. She smiles and they turn their attention back to the movie for a few minutes, but soon he feels her eyes on him again. "You're missing it again."

"Sorry," she whispers back, "I just like looking at you." She kisses him softly on the lips, "You know sometimes I still can't believe you're here with me. That I'm actually that lucky."

"Ditto," he replies, leaning in to deepen the kiss. He pushes her back onto the couch cushions, supporting his weight with his arms on either side of her as he hovers over her.

"I love you," she breathes, cradling his face in her hands as she kisses him softly. They make love slowly, the movie continuing to play forgotten in the background. She pulls the afghan from the back of the sofa over them as they try to catch their breaths.

He laughs as she places feather light kisses on his neck and chest, "You know if you didn't want to watch the movie you could've just started this with me earlier."

She leans up on one elbow and rests her head on her hand, her eyes sparkling, "I know," she laughs, "But I really did enjoy the beginning."

"Sure you did," he teases, getting up from under her and picking up his discarded clothing. He walks back in the direction of the bathroom wearing on his jeans, and she watches him intently as he leaves. She stands, bending to search for her phone in the couch cushions when she hears the front door open.

"Jesse, where are you going?" she starts to ask, turning around to face the door. Her jaw drops when she realizes it's Josh, standing there slack-jawed as he takes in her naked form.

"Dude, what the hell?" she yells as she grabs the afghan and attempts to cover herself. Just as she's wrapped it around her body like a cape, Jesse returns to the room and takes in the scene before him.

"Bec?" he asks, looking between her and Josh for answers.

"Your friend just walked in here like he still lives here," Beca explains, "And he pretty much saw everything," she adds, gesturing to herself. She walks past the two men in the direction of the bedroom. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to be less naked right now."

Jesse glares at Josh as his former roommate ogles his current girlfriend while she leaves the room. "Ahem," Jesse clears his throat loudly to get Josh's attention. "Care to explain what you're doing here and how you managed to see my girlfriend naked?"

"Sorry about that, man," Josh says, grinning, "Although I'm not really sorry because damn, she's a hot one!" he claps Jesse on the back as he passes by on his way to the kitchen. "Those tattoos and that rack! I can see why you wanted her to move here."

"How about you stop talking about her like that," Jesse says angrily. "Show some respect."

"Sorry," Josh replies, holding up his hands. "I just came by to see if I left my watch here. I haven't been able to find it anywhere and it was a gift from my parents."

"We haven't seen it," Jesse snaps, still angry about the situation. Beca emerges from the bedroom, now fully dressed. She moves to stand beside Jesse, folding her arms across her chest protectively as she looks at Josh.

"I'm going to need your key back, which you were supposed to leave when you moved out, remember?" Jesse says to Josh, holding his hand out.

"Here you go," Josh places the key in Jesse's waiting hand. Jesse closes his hand into a fist around the key and wraps his arms around Beca.

"I don't want you coming back here unless you're invited, is that clear?" Jesse tells Josh. "This is our place now, understood?"

"Got it," Josh replies, holding his hands up in mock-surrender, "Message received. The goods are for your eyes only," he tries to joke, pointing at Beca.

"Get out," Jesse says menacingly, causing Josh and Beca to widen their eyes in shock. Josh quickly leaves and Jesse locks the door firmly behind him, punching his fist into the door before turning around. He begins pacing the apartment, not making eye contact with Beca.

"Hey," she says, reaching out to try and stop him. "Are you gonna tell me what's got you all riled up?"

"I don't like that he saw you naked, ok? He treats women like objects. He referred to your body as "the goods". He dared to talk about you like you were some kind of prize!" Jesse is fuming.

"So, the guy is a douche. So what if he saw me naked?" she tries to reason with him. "Sure it was embarrassing but I'm over it."

"I'm not," Jesse snaps.

"It was no big deal," Beca starts, but he cuts her off.

"It is to me!" he nearly shouts. "You don't get it do you?" he adds, but it comes out as more of a statement than a question.

"I'm trying, but you're not making it easy," she tries to lighten the mood, but he continues to stomp around the apartment, his temper very un-Jesse-like. When he still won't talk to her, she gathers her bag and her phone, "So I'm going to head out for a bit and let you cool off. I'll be back later," she tells him before heading to her car. She doesn't really have a destination in mind, but wants to give him a chance to sort out his thoughts before she returns to the apartment.

After an hour passes, Jesse looks at his phone to see if he has any texts from her. When he hears nothing, he tries texting her to see when she'll be home. He wants to apologize to her for losing his temper and taking his anger out on her when she didn't have anything to do with it. After ten minutes, she still hasn't replied to his text so he decides to call her instead. Her phone goes straight to voicemail, indicating that maybe she forgot to charge it. He waits until a second hour has passed before he begins to worry. Since he has no idea where she went, he isn't sure where to look or how to reach her if her cell phone isn't working. He's reaching full panic mode when his cell lights up with a call from an unfamiliar number. Thinking it might be Beca, he answers the call.

"Hello?" he says tentatively.

"Hello this is Denise calling from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Are you a friend of Beca Mitchell's?" a woman's voice asks.

"Yes, I'm her boyfriend," Jesse responds, his heart plummeting to the pit of his stomach, "Is Beca ok?"

"She was in a car accident and just arrived here for treatment. I am unable to relay any more information to you over the phone. We got your number from her cell phone. You were the last person she called. If she has any immediate family in the area, they should be contacted as well," Denise informs him.

He thanks Denise, trying to stay calm as he rushes out the door. He's unable to do anything other than get himself to the hospital, his mind racing with the worst-case scenario. He runs into the emergency room and darts to the desk, eager to get any information on Beca's condition.

"Hi," he tells the woman at the desk, "I was called and told to come here. My girlfriend Beca Mitchell was in an accident. I'm her boyfriend, Jesse Swanson. She doesn't have any relatives in the area, so I'm her emergency contact," he explains, hoping this will let him see Beca. The woman hands him a clipboard full of forms for Beca. He's able to answer most of the questions, but some he needs help with, like her insurance information and her social security number.

"Sir," the woman prompts him, "I'm really not supposed to let you back there," she says, gesturing to the doors to the hospital wing, "Because you aren't her spouse or immediate family."

"Please," Jesse begs her, "She's everything to me," he pleads, near tears.

The woman pats him on the arm, sensing his angst, "Let me see what I can do," she tells him. After what seems like forever, Jesse is led through the doors and pointed in the direction of Beca's room. He rushes in and finds her awake and alert with only a few minor scrapes and cuts. The doctor turns to Jesse and introduces himself.

"Your girl here is very lucky," he explains to Jesse, "Only a few cuts and bruises but everything else checks out great. You can take her home as soon as we collect her insurance information and submit all the necessary paperwork." He leaves the room as Jesse sits on the side of her bed.

"The car is totaled," she says quietly, not meeting his gaze.

"I don't care about the car," he replies, taking her hands in his, "What happened?"

"I was on my way home from Starbucks, and this other car swerved into my lane and hit me head on. I didn't even have time to react. The air bags went off and I was so scared, Jesse. They said I had to come here to get checked out and they took my phone. I don't even know what happened to the person who hit me."

"Oh, Bec," he says, his eyes shining with unshed tears, "I was so afraid. They called and told me you were here and I didn't know anything else and I don't know what I would do if anything ever happened to you," he rambles.

"Shh, I'm ok," she reassures him, "I'm right here."

"I know, but it was my fault you were even driving," he shakes his head. "And all because I was a total jerk over something stupid."

"Yeah, you want to explain that overreaction there?" she says, stroking his cheek with her hand.

"It's just that Josh seeing you like that made me so angry. And then his smug reaction to it all, like you were an object or some prize to be won. It's not like I could rewind time and he'd un-see you, you know? I know other guys find you attractive but I like knowing that I'm the only one who _sees_ you, you know?"

She nods in understanding, "It made me crazy thinking about Alexa and you together, and all you were doing was watching movies fully clothed."

"I love you so much," he tells her, "And not just because you're incredibly hot and beautiful, but because you're you."

"I love you too, weirdo," she replies affectionately as he climbs into the small hospital bed beside her. He hugs her carefully, sure not to touch any of her injuries.

"Promise me something?" he begins and she looks at him, nodding her consent before he can even finish the thought. "Take care of yourself," he states seriously, "Because I need you here with me."

"Ditto," she replies, kissing him softly before curling back into his side once more.


	5. Chapter 5

After the accident she notices that Jesse becomes very protective of her. When she leaves to go somewhere he texts to make sure she arrived safely. He's always checking to make sure the apartment door is locked, and installs a chain lock as well. She can tell the accident really rattled him. Sometimes, she catches him just staring intently at her, a sad, far-away look in his eyes. Since she can't imagine what it must've been like to receive a call like that, she tries her best to reassure him that she's ok and that she's being extra careful.

It doesn't help that Jesse becomes busier with his classes and school commitments just as Beca begins working on a new project when her old boss introduces her to one of his contacts. She is working a lot of late hours and it is difficult for her and Jesse to find time to be together.

It's a strange thing, missing a person who lives in the same apartment. Beca especially doesn't like the fact that Jesse has been spending time with Alexa. Even though he studies with her in a group rather than alone now, Beca knows that Alexa is attracted to Jesse. She can't really blame the girl, and that's the thing that angers her the most.

After a particularly crazy week, Beca is working late one Thursday night and Jesse is studying with his group for a big exam the next day. They're both distracted, having not seen each other all week except for a quick kiss hello or goodbye. Her thoughts are drifting back to him in that study group with Alexa, and she picks up her phone to text him.

 _Hey weirdo, how are things going over there?_

His reply is almost instant. _Bored, and bored. Thinking of you instead of movies._

He smiles when his phone chimes with her snarky reply. _Well there's a first time for everything._

Her face flushes when she sees his next text. _Seriously, Beca. You have no idea what you do to me. I miss you, baby._

She misses him too, her hand absently trailing over her abdomen much like he would do if he were with her right now. She grins, raising her eyebrows wickedly as her fingers poise over the touchscreen keyboard. _Miss you more,_ she types, and sends it along with a picture of just her mouth biting her lower lip, her red lipstick prominent even in the darkness of the room behind her.

Her phone starts ringing with an incoming call from him. She answers, her voice purposefully coming out breathy.

"Hey you, aren't you supposed to be studying?" she says innocently.

"How am I supposed to concentrate on anything when you send me photos like that?" he questions.

"Just be glad I chose to send my lips, I was going to send something a little lower," she hints, and she hears his sharp intake of breath. "Oh my god, is the rest of the group listening to this?" she blurts, suddenly embarrassed.

"No, I excused myself and went into our room," he explains. "I didn't want them to think that they, or anything else we're studying, turns me on," he laughs.

"I see," she replies quietly. "God, Jesse. I miss you so much."

"I miss you too, when will you be home?" he asks.

"I don't know. I have a ton of work to do and I'm supposed to get it done before I can leave. So probably never," she answers despondently.

"And what exactly am I supposed to do about _this_?" he questions, gesturing to his obvious arousal.

Beca laughs, "Well, we can't send you out there all hot and bothered," she teases him. "Wouldn't want Alexa to think she had anything to do with it."

"Nope, we wouldn't want that at all," he smirks, his voice dropping an octave.

"You're going to need to take care of yourself," she responds. "Imagine it's me there with you, my hands on your body."

"Keep talking," he says, his hands deftly removing his jeans and sliding into his boxers. He begins to stroke himself as he listens to her words.

"Think about that time we were in the Trebles hot tub together. I was wearing that black string bikini. We were alone. You moved so that my back was pressed against your chest. You untied my bikini top and squeezed my breasts, cupping them in your hands. God, Jesse, it felt amazing to have you hard against my back."

She hears his strangled moans through the phone and continues, her voice low and breathy. "You pushed my bikini bottoms aside and you entered me so hard, baby. My moans of pleasure echoed through the empty house. You kissed my neck and held me tightly to you. And when I came, my orgasm was mind-blowing. And then you turned me around and buried your face in my chest, and we came again together. Do you remember that baby? I can almost feel you now."

She hears one final audible groan and then the sound of him dropping the phone. She waits a few seconds and then hears his voice, weak and out of breath. "God, Bec, where did you learn to talk like that? That was so hot. I want you so much right now."

"So it didn't help?" she fails to hide the disappointment in her voice.

"Oh, it helped," he says, "At least temporarily. I can at least go face the group without having a raging hard on."

"Well, that's something," she replies softly, and he can hear the sadness in her voice.

"What is it, Bec? Talk to me," he insists.

"I just miss you, is all," she answers, hugging herself with her arms. "I'm going to get back to work in the hopes that I'll get home before too late, ok?"

He bids her goodbye before giving him a final self-check in the mirror at his reflection and heading back to the study group. His friends give him a quizzical stare as he sits down. "Sorry, Beca needed my help with something at work," he explains feebly.

It's clear they don't really believe him, but thankfully no one comments, instead returning their attention to the study guide.They study for the next two hours uninterrupted, and Jesse's thoughts keep drifting to Beca. He routinely checks his phone but hears nothing from her. Finally, around midnight he hears the sound of a key in the lock of the front door. The door swings open and Beca rushes in, throwing her stuff haphazardly on the floor before turning towards the group. Jesse stands to greet her and she rushes at him. Before he can even react to her presence she launches herself into his arms, pressing her lips firmly against his as she wraps her legs around his waist.

He feels his body reacting to her immediately, this primal need to be near her unleashed as he kisses her with equal passion. He doesn't hear the unsettled, uncomfortable murmurs of his friends as they watch the couple. His hands slide down her back to support her weight, squeezing her backside as he presses her against himself.

Alexa is glowering as she collects her things and stuffs them in her backpack. "Uhh, guess we'll see you later, man," one of them says. Jesse starts to mumble an apology but Beca's small hands pull his lips back to hers, and he finds he can't even form a coherent thought. As the door closes behind his friends he carries her back to their bedroom and climbs on top of her, his tongue tangling with hers. Abruptly, he jumps up and runs into the bathroom.

"Dude what the hell?" she calls after him, wondering where he went. She hears the sound of running water and follows him into the tiny bathroom.

"It's not a hot tub," he says, gesturing to the regular sized bathtub as he fills it with hot water, "But it'll do."

"It sure will," she replies, unzipping her jeans and letting them fall to the floor.

The only thing Alexa hears from the hallway as she returns to retrieve her forgotten textbook is the sounds of their moans echoing off the bathroom walls.

 **A/N: Sorry for the long absence. I haven't been able to write lately and I need some ideas or inspiration. Let me know what you'd like to see happen next. Thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

"Wow, the chicks in this movie are hot!" exclaims Josh as Jesse's study group watches The Help together in the apartment he shares with Beca. Beca sits in the spare bedroom turned office, trying to drown out the noise of their obnoxious comments as she scrolls through her emails and begins to set up her mixing equipment.

"Shut up, Josh," Alexa tells him. "You're missing the entire point of the movie. This is about racial inequality, not how attractive the actresses are."

"You know she has a point," Jesse interjects. "But it sure makes it easier on the eyes."

Beca rolls her eyes at this, shaking her head as she plugs in her headphones. She pauses as she hears Josh add, "Yeah but look at that Jolene French. I can always go for a leggy blonde."

There's a murmur of male approval, and Beca enters the room to see who they are making such a fuss about. On the screen is an Aubrey Posen look-alike, complete with pasty skin and bleached blonde hair.

"Are you guys serious?" she questions in mock-horror, "Her?" she points at the screen.

"Yeah, what's wrong with her?" Josh asks as the whole study group turns to study Beca. "She's hot. Those legs? That hair? And her body is smoking hot."

"She looks like a Barbie doll from the 1960's. Plus, she reminds me of someone I know. And I can't have the word hot and Aubrey Posen firing on the same neurons in my brain. So if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go back to my work before I vomit." And with that, she leaves the room.

The conversation continues and she tries to drown it out, but picks up the occasional comment about the hotness of Jolene's ass and Hilly's rack, and by the time the group leaves she's feeling pretty sour.

"How the music going?" Jesse asks cheerfully as he cleans up the remains of their snacks.

"Fine," Beca replies curtly as she grabs another soda from the fridge. "So I was thinking pork chops for dinner," she comments, glancing cursorily at the door to the apartment, "But since all the pigs have left, we might have to think of something else." She slams the door and stalks out of the room.

Jesse follows her, "What is that supposed to mean?" he questions.

"All that talk about tall blondes and asses and boobs! You were supposed to be studying the artistry of the film, not the estimated size of Jolene's bra!" she exclaims, her nostrils flaring in anger.

He smiles fondly at her, "Oh come on Bec. It's just guy talk. It's harmless."

"So 'guy talk' means you objectify women and see them as only existing for your own personal sick entertainment?" she fires back.

"Whoa," he holds his hands up in surrender, "Where is all this coming from? Why are you so upset about this?"

"You don't get it," she scowls, turning around to leave the room.

"Explain it to me like I'm an idiot then, which I apparently am," he responds.

She pauses, trying to gather her thoughts, "I hate tall blondes," she finally says. "And all you men are the same, salivating over them like they're the female ideal. It just makes all of us regular petite brunettes feel inadequate. Ugh, and it doesn't help that Jolene looks exactly like Aubrey," she sticks out her tongue for emphasis.

"Aubrey Posen?" he frowns, contemplating this, "You're right, I guess she does. But so what? It's not like I said I thought she was hot. Josh is the one who goes for blondes. In fact, he goes for anything female who will tolerate him."

"I just hate it, that's all. It's all so stereotypical," she scowls.

"For the record, I do not think Jolene, or Aubrey are hot. I mean God, Aubrey's personality alone is repellant. Her voice is in a permanent register of shrillness. And she's got this prissy good-girl act going on, like you can tell she'd be the type to constantly post pictures of herself on social media about how great her life is. She's all about appearances, Bec. No substance."

Beca's lips curve into a slight smile, "You're such a weirdo," she tells him. "But you're right, she is shrill. It's distracting when you're trying to sing with her."

He gives her a quick peck on the lips before pulling her into a hug. "You, my friend, have nothing to worry about. I only have eyes for you."

And before he can launch into a cheesy rendition of that song, she closes the door in his face and pulls her headphones on, smiling to herself as she finally sits down to work.

Later that evening, when they are settled on the couch flipping through the channels, Beca pauses on an awards show to check out the celebrity fashion for a few minutes. Jesse comments excitedly about who will win based on their performances, and Beca's eyes narrow as her eyes fall upon the same actress who played Jolene in The Help. She's wearing something hideous and has way more dark eye makeup than ever she herself would ever wear.

"Go away!" Beca yells at the screen, throwing a handful of popcorn at the girl, "Take care of yourself and go get a decent stylist, or hell, a mirror!"

Jesse laughs as he grabs her hand and stills it, preventing her from throwing anymore popcorn, "Stop wasting the popcorn on her," he tells Beca.

"I hate her," she responds.

"I know, and it's sexy as hell," he whispers, beginning to nibble on the shell of her ear.

"Sexy?" she scoffs, "How is my irrational hatred of some random stranger sexy?"

"Because you're jealous of her for some reason. And I find that so hot. That girl has nothing on you. God Beca, that suit you wear to work that looks like you don't have anything on under it? The way you sing and move on stage? It turns me on just thinking about it. You are amazing, you know that right?" he begins planting soft kisses on her neck, brushing her hair aside to give himself more access to her creamy skin.

She sighs, leaning closer to him to press her lips to his. "Besides," he adds, "I think it's fairly clear that I prefer petite brunettes." He pushes her backward on the couch, pinning her arms down so she can't move. Her full breasts strain against the fabric of her hoodie, and he releases one of her arms in order to slowly lower the zipper. He stops at her navel and parts the hoodie, taking in the sight of her perfection. He lets out a low growl when he realizes she doesn't have anything on underneath, and he bends his head into the space between her breasts, kissing and nipping gently on any exposed skin he can find. She begins panting, and fists her free hand in his hair.

He moans as she pushes her breasts together, engulfing him in them. "You're perfect," he tells her before hastily removing his clothes and hers, eager to feel her against him. He sits down on the couch and she straddles his lap, allowing him to thrust up into her in one quick motion.

"Harder! Deeper!" she yells, urging him on until they reach a frantic pace. She screams his name as her orgasm rips through her, and he follows soon after. And she can't help but smile at the fact that this Jolene actress was on the screen the whole time, peering at them in the glow of the television.

"Take that, bitch," Beca thinks inwardly before pulling Jesse's lips to hers again.

 **A/N: Do you see what I did here? evil laughter**


End file.
